Michael Jackson Fan Merchandise Faves- Moonwalker, Michael & Me, and More for September 2016.

Like most people living in their first NYC apartment, I fell into the IKEA trap when I first moved into my studio. Rent tends to be so expensive in the city and a lot of young professionals end up getting a lot of their furniture from discount stores. I was no exception. After finally making the decision to upgrade, I ended up going through a lot of my closets and subsequently, my Michael stuff.

Here are a couple of my favorites for September, including some "oldies but goodies":

1. Moonwalker

I wore this tape OUT when I was a kid. I simply couldn't get enough of it. This copy is from a friend who recently moved out to LA and was purging some of her collection. The past couple of days, I've been coming home and enjoying this throwback film every evening after work. They now sell Moonwalker in DVD form (

here

) - if you don't have it... run to the store and check it out!

2.

Michael & Me

by Shana Mantagal

Now, I will admit. I am not the most knowledgeable fan- ESPECIALLY when it comes to Michael's personal life. I've shared time and time again that my fandom pretty much is rooted in me admiring Michael's accomplishments, being grateful to him for his sacrifice/hard work, and also loving him for bringing me closer to all of my best friends. I usually don't indulge in this type of stuff but, curiosity got the best of me and I picked this up. Planning on doing a full review of

the book

in the next 3-4 weeks- stay tuned!

3. My Vinyl Record Player

This was gifted to me last Christmas but, I just recently started using it. Hitting up thrift stiffs for albums at a discount is another one of my fave things to do lately. My favorite album to listen to so far is

JACKSONS LIVE

. I grew up listening to this record and it's been something near and dear to my heart since childhood.

4. Michael Jackson Shot Glasses

I'm not a huge drinker but, thought these were super cute. I got two of them!

If you've been to the store at Mandalay Bay, you know that there's always been a volume of merchandise with the MJ ONE logo (and that faaaaake signature). I was pleased to see on my recent trip that there are a lot more branded items now with Michael's real signature (and more recreations of old tour shirts and merchandise- which is awesome).

5. Bal a Versailles

Michael's favorite fragrance from the '80s, this was gifted to me and I will treasure it for a long, long time :)

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What are some of the things you're into this month?

xo

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Baby Fever? A Babies Go Michael Jackson review


Have any other MJFam out there had baby fever? I will be the first to admit, I sometimes catch myself daydreaming of what my children would look like, what they would be like. I wonder if they'll be children of their time or old souls like me. I wonder what they will think about Michael. Let me tell you this... if my kids grew up hating Michael because they were force-fed his music and videos by their dear old mom, I would probably die a little on the inside (kidding!). I want them to be exposed to all different types of music... seriously, I do.

So, I got to thinking, what better way to start em off early than just playing his music? For all of you MJFAM who are soon to be mommies (or one day in the future mommies like me), I have found an awesome way to introduce your children to Michael Jackson's music in a very subtle way.

    BABIES GO MICHAEL JACKSON! 


Yes, you heard me right... BABIES GO MICHAEL JACKSON! 


 Babies Go Michael Jackson is one of the few Michael Jackson themed lullaby albums that I have come across and in my humble opinion, the best pick of the bunch. A lot of the other CD's have fast-paced jarring songs that just end up sounding like old-school midi ringtones as opposed to lullabies.

Here is the tracklist:

  1. I'll Be There
  2. The Girl Is Mine
  3. Heal The World         
  4. You Are Not Alone   
  5. I Just Can't Stop Loving You
  6. Man In The Mirror   
  7. Thriller          
  8. Bad 
  9. Beat It
10. Billie Jean    
11. Black Or White
12. One Day In Your Life               
13. Human Nature
14. We Are The World

This album is composed of Michael Jackson songs that have been transformed into lullabies. Each song features soft bells and chimes, covering both the sounds of the vocals and the track combined into one easy-to-listen-to melody. Covering songs like "Human Nature", "We Are The World," and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," all the day down to "One Day In Your Life" (whatchuknowaboutdat!?), this album is good enough for babies and Michael Jackson loving mothers to enjoy together.

Here is a sample track, one of my personal favorites from this lullaby album "I'll Be There":







I think that Babies to Go Michael Jackson would be the perfect gift to any MJ fan who is a mommy (or daddy) to be. The songs are familiar yet soothing and have just the right appeal for little ears. 
Babies to Go is available for purchase from amazon.com in both CD format and as individual MP3s. 

--
So, do any of my readers have MJ fan friends who are having babies soon or are new parents?
What do you think of the pop song lullaby CD trend?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!




Book Review: Before He Was King by Todd Gray


Hey everyone! 

I have been having a pretty good week. I was off for Martin Luther King. Jr. day and was fortunate enough to be able to stay home, relax, and watch the inauguration on television. Watching the First Family always means so much to me - super inspiring!

I am back with another review today with one of my favorite Michael Jackson photo books. With the Michael Jackson Opus leading the way, fans saw an influx of photo books published after Michael's death. (Ahh, typing "Michael's death just sent shivers through my spine-- I don't think I can ever get used to saying that.)

"Before He Was King" by Todd Gray, is something I've had on my Must Haves list for a really long time. It was published in November 2009 and retailed for about $25.00. Many of the pages contain little stories or anecdotes from Todd Gray's experience working as Michael's personal photographer from 1974-1984. I recently found a like new copy of this on amazon and knew that I had to grab it right away. If I had a coffee table, it would be right there on it.
For now it is on my kitchen table... :-)


Let's start with the title: I'd suppose that if you believe Thriller is when Michael Jackson officially became a "KING" in the world of popular music, the title would be accurate. I'd like to think that Mike was always a king in some sense of the word but I do love the title because it draws the average reader in.

Here is an excerpt from Gray where he reflects on these years spent photographing Michael:

"My photographs of Michael, from 1974 to 1984, show him as the engaging, charming, youthful person he was before the insatiable demands of his extraordinary celebrity bore so heavily on him. As I reflect, I realize now that this was the time before he was King."


This book contains 100 never before seen and high quality photos of Michael Jackson through the late 1970's and early '80's. I especially enjoyed the behind the scenes captures from the Triumph tour, like the one below.





In terms of packaging, this 144 page book is pretty sturdy and I haven't had any issues with it thus far (although I did see some reviews about the binding being a problem for some). I take care of my Michael Jackson collection pretty well and usually don't have problems with pages falling out.

What I like about "Before He Was King" is the fact that its so offbeat and it covers a topic and time in Michael's career that is so rarely spoken about. The Off The Wall era was special in so many ways and I'm grateful that this was made to document some of those special moments. Flipping through the photos in this was so nostalgic and I found myself daydreaming that I was in my car, driving down the highway into the sunset with "Girlfriend" on blast.

Oh, how I love that album.



Anyway...  GET YOUR COPY:  Michael Jackson: Before He Was King  ... it's on Amazon both new and used! 

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Happy 2013! Review of the Michael Jackson Slot Machine

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 
Hello everyone and welcome to 2013! I know I am a bit late but hey... better late than never?



Today I want to share a brief review of my first time playing on the Michael Jackson slot machine. 
For NYE a friend and I spent our time in Atlantic City and to my surprise, we were able to find the Michael Jackson slot machine right at the Tropicana Hotel. This Bally Technologies machine is awesome fun for both Michael Jackson fanatics and the everyday fan of his music in general.  Featuring songs like "Billie Jean" "Beat It" and "Smooth Criminal" playing this slot machine was one that I really enjoyed. 

There were a number of things that impressed me about this machine. #1... it was a penny machine! 
Amazing. But for those of you who are familiar, a lot of the new slot machines have minimum bets. You can bet in intervals of 40 cents a time, up to $3.20.  The chair is situated so that the speakers are playing Michael's music right behind your ears, which makes it an even more fun and interactive experience. I found myself having to set personal limits of 3-4 presses of the bet button per minute to ration out my money. 40 cents a pop doesn't seem like a lot until you are pressing every second trying to get Michael to dance across the screen. :-) 

I would have to say though, the most fun part about this machine was the bonus round. You don't have to play a higher number but my friend insisted that he would take over and bet a little higher... much to my pleasure we entered the bonus round!!!


Here's a short clip of us at the "Beat It" bonus round.... 




Tip.... once you win--- CASH out! I totally thought that Michael would shine down from the heavens and bless me with the Jackson Jackpot but... no such luck! Haha, Michael took my money :'( I don't think I lost too much but I can say that the experience was worth it. I give the Michael Jackson slot machine a thumbs up and I will totally be returning to play again.


Have you ever played this machine? What was your impression? 

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Merchandise Review: Michael Jackson Badge Collection 1 (from Japan)





I got this pin badge set from my host mother when I went to Japan this past October. She knows how much I love Michael Jackson and she tends to pick up anything she sees MJ-related and saves it for me until the next time we meet. 

This collection honestly doesn't have anything we haven't seen before but, I really love that it features a variety of photos from different eras (which we don't usually see). I haven't opened it so, I'm not 100% sure about whether or not this is an officially licensed item or not. I love getting items from Japan because they have so many goodies that we never really see here in the states. At this age, I am not too crazy about pin badges (as they leave holes all over everything and they just aren't my cup of tea (unless its Michael's Birthday week or something like that" but, I am glad that I have these in my collection. 

If you are looking for pin badges, amazon sells a lot of them. Here is a link to some of my favorites- Set of 20 MICHAEL JACKSON Pinback Buttons 1.25" Pins / Badges Tribute Memorial




Fan Review of Michael Jackson BAD 25 Deluxe Edition



Okay so I know that this post is atrociously late but, I figure that this is one of those better late than never cases. I am shut in because of Hurricane Sandy so, instead of studying all day I have decided to come on here and talk to you guys about Michael! Do you guys forgive me? :) 

Today I want to take the time out to post my review & thoughts about BAD 25.

As many of you know, there were several versions of the BAD 25th Anniversary collections released. I chose to stick to the Deluxe Edition that retails for about $35.00 USD here on amazon.com. I actually got a really great deal on this from Groupon Goods, which has become my new guilty pleasure. (Seriously, I am on there every morning checking out what great things they've got on sale. I've made at least 7 purchases, most of them being of beautiful jeweler  most of them being 90% off-- or more. I'm talkin' about sparkly simulated diamond earrings for just $8 bucks and free shipping. You can't beat that....)

But anyway.... back to Michael Jackson and this awesome BAD 25th celebratory set. I personally chose this one because I am running out of room for storage of Michael Jackson stuff. Actually, I haven't even had the chance to bring all of my MJ collectors items into my new apartment. I don't really have plans to do so but, I know that I have to eventually because being away from my most prized possessions is not easy.  

After partying mad hard with the Legacy of Love Crew at our huge BAD 25 celebration, I only got a chance to open my own BAD 25 goodies about a week after they were released. 

Everything came in this black matte case. It's kind of the same thickness that the HIStory album is, so it won't have a problem fitting on your shelf. (But won't fit in one of those slotted CD/DVD holders). 



This set contained 3 CDs: The original BAD album, the BONUS Material (a bunch of unreleased songs from the BAD Era), and a LIVE CD of the BAD Tour. I believe that this is the first live album that we have from Michael Jackson. The Jacksons Live is one of my personal favorite albums and although this BAD Live album was released posthumously, I am grateful for it.

I don't have much to say about the first or second discs. I would like to reiterate my personal stance on posthumous material.... it takes me a LONG time to warm up. To be honest, it is only in the past few WEEKS that I have been able to listen to "Breaking News" without wincing. Although I love the song it's just, there's no imagery to really associate with it. Just another reminder that Michael is gone. For now, I will maintain that my favorite track on Disc Two is "Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu". Anyone that wants to convince me that there's another track on here worth swooning over, is totally free to do so!



Disc Three is really refreshing and a breath of fresh air. It's one of those albums that I can see me putting on my ipod and falling asleep to when the times get tough. His voice is just so crisp, clear, powerful and strong. I really believe that this was Michael's PEAK in terms of concert performances and I am so appreciative that the Michael Jackson Estate listened to the begging and pleading of fans around the world that this material be released.



There are two pretty nice booklets with lots of photos that we have never seen before. My only complaint is that the photos are pretty much all miniature like this: 



I kinda sorta wish we had them all larger but, it's always great to see never before seen photographs of Michael. When Michael left us, I felt like we'd never get to see anything new. No new pictures of him smiling, laughing, performing etc. but, with this, I am really impressed and it really contributes to feeling like he is still here with us in spirit!

The last disc of the set is a DVD of one of Michael's shows at Wembley Stadium from 1988, formally titled Michael Jackson Live At Wembley 7.16.1988 . I can say between this DVD and the LIVE performance CD, this BAD 25 collection has left a few thoughts lingering in my mind. 

  1. It is in fact possible, to hold your own private performance of the intro of WBSS from the BAD tour. (and you will kick a**).   sidebar: am i the only fan that like jumped up and did all of the dance moves when this came on? 
  2. If there is ever a time machine invented that is available for public, or Michael Jackson fan use, I'd like to go back to 1988 *pwetty pwease*
  3. Michael is seriously the best performer of all time. There will never be another, forreal forreal. 
  4. Damn, I wish Michael was still here. 




Overall , I would say this is a pretty good buy. Of course, most fans already have the BAD 25 album but, I truly would recommend all Michael Jackson fans to have this in their arsenal. To be honest, if nothing else, the DVD is something worth having. If you haven't seen Michael Jackson perform live during the BAD era, you are truly truly missing out! Let me tell you another thing, this TOTALLY beats watching some beat up old copy on Youtube. Youtube DOES have some gems but, for Michael Jackson fans I always advocate having a real copy. Michael was electrifying and apart from when I saw him live in 2001, this was probably my best  Michael Jackson concert experience to date. My favorite parts of the concert were Thriller (Tarzan much?) and Human Nature, just because he was so into it and he sounded (and looked) delicious! He was workin' hard up there, especially towards the end with the robotic dance move finale. I wish that the BAD 25th Anniversary sets would have contained at least one more concert from the BAD Tour. Even if it was just an official release of Yokohama. I'm confident that we will get other concerts down the line though and as they say, patience is a virtue. 


For all of those who haven't gotten a chance to get BAD 25, check it out here on amazon.com: Bad, 25th Anniversary Edition, Deluxe Edition . 


You can also just get the DVD alone on amazon too!  Michael Jackson Live At Wembley 7.16.1988 . 




Thanks so much for reading and let me know your thoughts on BAD 25 below! What were your likes and dislikes about this set?

For all of my East Coasters out there.... be SAFE! xx
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Stylish Michael Jackson Stationary Finds

Like everyone else I'm sure, my fandom and facination with Michael Jackson was no secret to those around me in high school. I wore MJ t-shirts daily, hung photos up of him in my locker, and even performed to "Dangerous" in the high school talent show. I have since graduated (3 times, haha!) but, I am still in love with personalizing my life and everyday items with Michael. Hey, if you've got to use it... why not Michaelize It?

A little over a year ago some fan friends and I discovered this great collection of Michael Jackson stationary by Continental Accessory. I was in my last year of graduate school so I definetely got a great use out of the notebooks and pen. Actually, I have the pen at work and I keep it in the private section of my desk (don't want anyone else touching my beloved MJ pen!).


Shop Michael Jackson Stationary



1. Michael Jackson 1 Subject Notebook, 80 Sheets, 8.5 x 10.5 inches, Assorted 6 Pack




I really think that these are great options for showing how much you love MJ. And maybe you might be more motivated to study if you are using fun accessories like these during your classes.

My MJ Notebook and Pen.

Isn's that so pretty altogether?
I am on the lookout for more merchandise so if any of you guys know if any, let me know!
Until next time... XOXO.


Merchandise Review: Michael Jackson Pendant

Last night after work I was treated (by one of my best friends) to some yummy Thai food at one of my favorite restaurants here in the city. I chose pineapple chicken fried rice and the food was super delicious!

Anyway, it was one of the few times I wore my Michael pendant and the first time I've worn it in 2012! I wish I would've taken pictures of my entire outfit but, I did want to share one of my favorite pieces in my Michael Jackson collection.

I picked this beauty up in Tokyo, Japan back in 2010. I visited Japan in May to go see some friends and go shopping for a few days. Needless to say, when I heard that the Michael Jackson estate was bringing the lifetime collection to Japan, I knew that I had to make a pitstop.

Not only did I have to make time to check out the exhibition (twice!), I also had to make a stop at the gift shop!


As you can see, it came in this really cute jewelry box with that 1980's MJ logo on it-- classic!



I love how unique this necklace is, particularly because of the golden tassel at the bottom. It kind of easily catches on clothing but, if you guys are anything like me, you are very careful with your MJ merchandise anyway so, no real cause for concern there.

Here are a few close-ups of the necklace. Whenever I have worn it, it's been an absolute hit!



I don't have much in my King of Pop jewelry collection but, I am always on the lookout.
Some great places to find necklaces and bracelets are on etsy.com and on ebay.com !

Do you know of any great places to find MJ jewelry?

Let me know in the comments!

Until next time...


XOXO!


Merchandise Review: Michael Jackson Invincible Sleep Mask

I am back, yes, I am back with another product review. Today I will be reviewing a sleep mask that I purchased on the Bravado Michael Jackson Official Store. I got this a while back but am just getting down to opening it (I know, shame on me!).

As you can see, this is an Invincible-inspired eye mask for use when you are sleeping and want to block out light. I have found that sleeping with an eye mask on puts me in a SUPER deep sleep so, if you have to wake up for school or work the next morning... save this treat for the weekend!

When I saw this I knew I had to have it. There are hardly any cool pieces of memorbilia that reflect the 2000's so, it was a must have. The front graphic is printed on some plastic/vinyl type of material but, the black part that rests on your eyes is 100% polyester, making it silky smooth and super comfortable.


It came in this protective film, which I was happy about, being the germ-a-phobe that I am.



Very accurate and true to the album cover.


Here I am getting sleepy and ready to hop in the bed and get my sleep on (in my PJs and everything!)


 Time for bed, MJ family!

I think that this is a must have for any fan that wants to get some really good shut-eye. Whether you want to use it at home or even while traveling, this is well worth it and a pretty good value. It's normal retail price is $25 but, it's on sale right now for just $10!

If you are interested in getting this Invincible Sleep Mask, check out the Official MJ Store by Bravado HERE.

Thanks for reading and until next time...